payback chance for lee

By rjlloyd robert lloyd

LEE Byrne will head to Twickenham on Saturday looking to repay the Welsh rugby public for the 'amazing support' he received during the 16th man affair.

Byrne is reinstalled in the Wales starting line-up for the Six Nations opener against England after overturning his two-match European rugby ban at an appeal hearing in Glasgow on Tuesday evening.

The news came as a massive fillip for Byrne, Wales coach Warren Gatland and the Welsh fans desperate for a repeat of the stunning victory over the old enemy two years ago.

Reward

And the Ospreys full-back has revealed he is looking to reward all that support by helping Wales spoil England's centenary party on Saturday evening.

"There's no pressure on me now to perform at the weekend is there after all the effort everyone has put in on my behalf?" smiled Byrne.

"The support out there for me has been amazing, from random people coming up to me at the airport to wish me luck before I flew out to Glasgow to all the texts and phone messages I've had since the result has been out.

"It's quite humbling to know you have that kind of support out there, I just hope I can repay everyone with a performance.

Familiar ground

"I'm just glad to put the last four or five days behind me and be back on familiar ground preparing for a game of rugby rather than thinking about an appeal hearing.

"All thoughts of the case are now immediately out of my mind. I've missed one training session in getting to Glasgow, but we are at the business end of the training week and all my focus is now on Twickenham."

Byrne takes his place in a new-look Welsh back division that sees Ospreys team-mate James Hook partner Jamie Roberts in midfield, Blues flyer Tom James come in for his first Six Nations start and Gareth Cooper get the nod to partner Stephen Jones at half-back.

The loss of Scarlets hooker Matthew Rees with a recurrence of his groin problem is a blow, but the presence of one of the best full-backs in world rugby will be a comfort for Gatland and his coaching team.

Missing out

"It's just going to be great to get back to international rugby, it feels like I've been away for ages after missing out on the autumn internationals due to the injury I picked up with the Lions," added Byrne.

"I'm really looking forward to getting back on the field at Twickenham and there's nothing like starting back with the big one against England in a centenary game.

"The expectation at the start of any campaign is immense but the senior players in this squad have been through a lot together now. We have the experience and we have just got to handle that pressure, we know can do it.

"We started in 2008 with a win against them at Twickenham for the first time in 20 years and look what happened then. It's all about winning that first game and then building some momentum.

"That's very much the same for both sides, but we just have to make sure it's us who have the edge."

roblloyd@swwmedia.co.uk